RMOW doles out money in election challenge

Mayor-Elect spends most in legal battle, settles for most

The municipality is paying out more than $8,000 to four election candidates whose nomination papers were challenged in court in October.

Mayor-Elect Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, who spent more than $5,700 in legal fees, will be getting some money along with Councillor-Elect Jack Crompton and council candidates Steve Anderson and Steve Andrews.

Each candidate negotiated the settlements separately. The settlement of $8,520 will not cover all the legal fees.

Wilhelm-Morden said it was important to resolve this issue before taking office tomorrow.

"We could have gone back and got direction from the judge about the cost issue but it was important to me to get this done before officially taking the mayor's position," said Wilhelm-Morden.

The nomination papers of the four election candidates were challenged by Whistler's Chief Electoral Officer a month before the election over "some potential defects in the manner in which the candidates nomination papers had been completed." A provincial court judge ruled the papers were valid and all four were allowed to run in the election. Two won - Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, and Councillor-Elect Jack Crompton.

For more on this story, and for news on council's swearing-in ceremony, pick up the Pique Thursday.